Graphene is a one-atom-thick allotrope of carbon with a sp2-hybridized honeycomb, two-dimensional, carbon lattice consisting of conjugated hexagonal cells. Graphene has garnered much attention due to its unique band structure and its structural, electrical and optical properties. Prototype devices employing graphene, such as high-frequency field-effect transistors (FETs), photo-voltaic systems (solar cells), chemical sensors, super-capacitors, etc., have demonstrated the potential uses for graphene in electronics and optoelectronics devices. An overview of graphene is set forth in the article by A. K. Geim and K. S. Novoselov entitled “The rise of graphene,” Nature Materials 6, no. 3 (2007): 183-191.
Large-area, high-quality graphene films formed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods are desirable because of their high strength, flexibility, transparency and conductivity. While a number of methods have been developed to transfer graphene onto other substrates for subsequent use, all involve detaching the graphene from the metal substrate (usually copper) by etching away the metal and dissolving the substrate completely in solution. The etching and subsequent destruction of the metal substrate is not only costly but also complicated by the use of copious quantities of chemical bath. Moreover, the subsequent recovery of the metal from the chemical bath takes energy and adds cost and complexity to the graphene-forming process.